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Ethnobotanical tribal practices for mosquito repellency followed by people of

north India

Article · October 2017

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Prathyusha Kantheti Padma Alapati

Professor Jayashankar Telangana State Agricultural University Professor Jayashankar Telangana State Agricultural University
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 Journal of Pharmacognosy and Phytochemistry 2017; 6(6): 942-494

E-ISSN: 2278-4136
P-ISSN: 2349-8234 Ethnobotanical tribal practices for mosquito repellency
JPP 2017; 6(6): 942-494
Received: 01-09-2017 followed by people of north India
Accepted: 02-10-2017

Prathyusha Kantheti
Research Scholar, Department of
Prathyusha Kantheti and Alapati Padma
Apparel and Textiles, College of
Home Science, Professor Abstract
Jayashankar Telangana State Mosquitoes are small flies that belong to the family Culicidae. Most of the female mosquitoes are
Agricultural University, ectoparasites which depend on human blood and are responsible for spreading of dangerous diseases like
Hyderabad, Telangana, India malaria, dengue fever, chikungunya, zika virus and other diseases. Mosquito repellents are substances
which help in preventing mosquito bites. No of repellents are available in the market in different forms
Alapati Padma
like sprays, lotions, roll-ons, coils, dup sticks, repellent liquids, lamps etc. Before the availability of
Professor and University Head,
Department of Apparel and
repellents in market, traditional practices are well known to repel mosquitoes. Till date many tribes and
Textiles, College of Home villagers still follow traditional practices using leaves, roots, bark, flowers from many plants in one or
Science, Professor Jayashankar other way to repel mosquitoes. The present paper reviews the tribal medicinal practices that were
Telangana State Agricultural followed by people of North India for mosquito repellency. The present study of review on ethno
University, Hyderabad, botanical practices for mosquito repellency revealed that people of North India depend on Holy basil,
Telangana, India Sweet basil, Neem and five leaved chaste tree for mosquito repellency.

Keywords: Mosquitoes, Repellents, Mosquito repellents, North India, Tribal practices for mosquito
repellency

1. Introduction
Mosquito repellents are substances or products that makes the surface unpleasant or
unattractive for mosquitoes to bite. Most of the mosquito repellents that are available in the
market have one active ingredients and one secondary ingredient. The active ingredient helps
in repelling mosquitoes whereas secondary ingredient helps in giving cosmetic appeal to the
product/repellent. Traditionally, various things have been used to repel mosquitoes which
include smoke, plant extract, oils and muds. With the increase of technology, individual
compounds have been isolated for preparation of new mosquito repellent formulations. DEET,
(full form) Pyrethrin, Picardian, Permethrin, Pyrethroids, IR 3535 and many other synthetic
repellents are available in the market. The synthetic repellents are often powerful and longer
lasting compared to natural repellents but at the same time, synthetic repellents have many
disadvantages and are likely to cause irritation to eyes, throat, lips and sensitive areas, and are
said to have very pungent chemical smell. Due to the above-mentioned disadvantages, people
have become nature conscious and are concentrating more on natural based products and
practices for keep away mosquitoes.

1.1 Phytochemicals
The chemical compounds present in plants which are responsible to help the plants to thrive
predators or pathogens. The name is derived from the Greek word Phyton which means plant.
Few phytochemicals acts as poison where as many other phytochemicals are known to be used
in tribal medicinal practices. Alkaloids, saponnins, steroids, tannins and terpenoids are the
main phytochemicals that are said to be responsible for mosquito repellency in plant sources.

1.2 Review on Mosquito repellent plant sources used by Tribes of North India
Plants were well known to be used in the tribal medicinal practices since time immemorial.
20,000 species of plants were pointed by World Health Organization globally in many
medicinal uses. Many plants are likely to process certain types of phytochemicals in order to
Correspondence protect themselves from herbivorous animals and insects. These phytochemicals even help in
Prathyusha Kantheti repelling insects which always depend on the plant juices for their feed. Repellents have an
Research Scholar, Department of important place in protecting the man from mosquito stings. Plant sources such as Neem,
Apparel and Textiles, College of
Home Science, Professor
Tulsi, Aloe era and Turmeric were known to be used in tribal medicinal practices for repelling
Jayashankar Telangana State mosquitoes since ancient times. Polishing of house floor with leaf plant extracts obtained
Agricultural University, mainly from the species of Azadirachta, Artemisia, Lantana, Ocimum and Cymbopogon is
Hyderabad, Telangana, India routinely done to drive away mosquitoes and other insect’s flies as common tradition among
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Journal of Pharmacognosy and Phytochemistry

the community members of rural tribal people. Here is the list North India
of plant species used from generations by various tribes of

Table 1: Traditional practices for mosquito repellency followed by people of North India- Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Punjab,
Uttarkhand, Haryana, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh
Sl. Common
State Tribes Plant Sources Family Form of Usage
No. Name
Jammu and Seeds possess a pungent smell
Bandip district Dog- or hog's-
Kashmir Anthemis cotula and hence are kept in the books
1. of Jammu and Asteraceae fennel, stinking
Lone [Link] Linn. and garments as insect
Kashmir chamomile.
(2013) [12] repellents.
Himachal Local people grow Tulsi as the
Pradesh North-West Holy basil religious plant and believe that
2. Ocimum sanctum L. Lamiaceae
Savitha Rani Himalayas. Tulsi the leaves of the plant act as
[Link] (2015) mosquito repellent.
Neelam
Tehsil Joginder
Kumar Ocimum basilicum Sweet basil Leaf extract of basil as external
nagar, Mandi Lamiaceae
(March 2014) Linn Sabza application
[16] district
Bharmour Leaves has strong aromatic
Thakur [Link] Forest smell which acts in repelling
(April 2014) Division, Origanum vulgare Lamiaceae Origanum mosquitoes in dry as well as
[20] Himachal fresh form. Dry(incense), Fresh
Pradesh (juice extracts)
Burning of stem bark produces
Albizialebbeck (L.) Fabaceae Annatto fumes which acts as mosquito
repellents
Punjab Smoke from burning of dried
Arian and Azadirachtaindica Bonpland's
2.0 Khan [Link] Meliaceae leaves, bark and flowers are
Batwal Tribes (L.) croton
(2016) used as mosquito repellents
Smoke from burning of dried
Vitexnigundo Linn Verbenaceae Chaste Tree. leaves acts as mosquito
repellent
Leaf Paste is applied on
Anaphalis contorta Pearly
Uttarakhand Nainital Asteraceae external body parts which were
(D. Don) Hook. f. everlasting
3.0 Shah [Link] catchment area mostly exposed.
(2014) of Uttarakhand Salvia longifolia
Lamiaceae Sage Paste acts as mosquito repellent
Nutt.
Pulp of seeds acts as mosquito
Bixa orellana L Bixaceae Annatto
repellent.
Matur [Link] Tarai Region
Twig extract has antitumor
(2013) [13] of Kumaun Croton Bonpland's
Euphorbiaceae properties, and leaf extract is
bonplandianus Baill. croton
used as a mosquito repellent.
Fumigants from the whole
Coronopus didymus
Brassicaceae Swine cress plants parts acts as insect
Haryana (L.) Sm.
Ambala repellent.
Vashistha
District, Flax- leaf
[Link] (2013)
[21] Haryana Erigeron linifolius fleabane, Seed is aromatic and insect
Asteraceae
Willd. Wavy- leaf flea repellent.
bane
Commiphora wightii
Resin Incense was burned to
or Commiphora Burseraceae Guggul.
repel mosquitoes.
mukul (Guggul)
Rajasthan Oil extracts from the plant
Tribes of
Santosh, contains Vetivone, Zinanal and
Rajasthan Vetiveria Zizanioides
(2012) Vetiver, Khas Epizizizanal. Zinanal and
(Linn)/ Chrysopogon Poaceae/Gramineae
Khas, Khus. Epizizizanal. The oil when
zizanioides (L)
applied externally acts as
mosquito repellence
Oil extracted and mixed with
kerosine and the oil when used
Azdirachta Indica Meliaceae Neem
in lamps acts as mosquito
repellent
Uttar Pradesh
Tribes of Uttar Marijuana, Fumigants from the leaves acts
4.0 Jameel [Link] Cannbis sativa Cannabaceae
Pradesh Gallow Grass as insect repellent.
(2013) [7]
Oil extracted from leaves acts
Lantana Camara Verbenaceae Lantana.
as mosquito repellent
Oil extracted from the leaves
Melia azedarach Miliaceae China berry
acts as mosquito repellent
Rajesh Kumar Tribes of Uttar Azadirachta indica External application of leaf oil,
Meliaceae Neem
[Link] (2012) Pradesh A. Juss Incense burnt from dried leaves
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Journal of Pharmacognosy and Phytochemistry

act as mosquito repellent.

Incense burnt from dried leaves
Calotropis procera Asclepiadaceae Rubber Bush
act as mosquito repellent.
Paste of leaves mixed with
coconut oil and applied
Urena lobate Malvaceae Caesar weed
externally on skin to repel
mosquitoes.

2. Conclusion larvae of Culex tritaeniorhynchus and repellent activity on adult

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of mosquitoes, it tends to increase the resistance power towards the FP, Fonseka KT. Household responses to malaria and their
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